Dental News - H1N1 epidemic offers lesson for dentists

Fred Michmershuizen, DTA

Fri. 3 September 2010

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NEW YORK, NY, USA: The H1N1 flu epidemic has lessons to offer health-care providers, even dentists, according to a recent editorial in Anesthesia Progress, the official publication of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. The limited amount of vaccine available initially left pregnant women, small children with medical conditions and other high-risk populations waiting in long lines.

The problems encountered in reaching certain segments of the population apply to the provision of dental care as well as other disciplines, according to the article by Joel M. Weaver, DDS, PhD, titled “What Can We Learn From the H1N1 Flu Epidemic?”

Weaver says special-needs populations are too often overlooked by dentists because of a lack of experience in managing these patients in the dental office.

“The addition of a highly skilled mobile ambulatory general anesthesia practitioner can transform a dentist’s office into a fully monitored mini-operating room,” Weaver says.

This would allow dentists to provide safe, high-quality care to people who cannot otherwise cooperate with treatment, he says.

Weaver also notes positive changes in the health-care community and beyond because of the H1N1 flu epidemic. Much as the impact of the HIV/AIDS virus spawned the wearing of gloves and other protective equipment by dental professionals, this epidemic is also bringing about transformations.

These include a better awareness of hygiene and improved measures, such as hand washing, that will decrease the spread of illness.

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